Sept. 3, 2002

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame senior Nicholas Setta (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township HS) has been selected as the USATODAY.com National Player of the Week for the weekend of Aug. 31. The Irish placekicker set a Kickoff Classic record and tied a school standard by kicking five field goals (51, 32, 18, 46 & 24 yards) in Notre Dame’s 22-0 win over No. 21/20 Maryland last Saturday night at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Setta also converted his only extra point attempt (extending his streak to 56 consecutive PAT made), finishing with 16 total points to earn Kickoff Classic Most Valuable Player honors.

Setta’s five field goals equalled the Irish record held by Craig Hentrich, who booted five in a 29-20 win over second-ranked Miami on Oct. 20, 1990. In addition, Setta’s career-long 51-yard field goal in the first quarter was a Kickoff Classic record and matched the second-longest kick in school history behind only Dave Reeve’s 53-yarder against Pittsburgh on Sept. 11, 1976.

A 2001 Lou Groza Award semifinalist and a 2002 Groza Award candidate, Setta has made at least one field goal in a school-record 14 consecutive games, including five of his last six quarters of action. He also has converted 11 of his last 12 field goals from 40 yards or longer, with his only miss coming from 56 yards against Maryland.

Notre Dame (1-0), which is ranked 24th in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll and 23rd in the most recent Associated Press survey, returns to action at noon (EST) Saturday for its home opener against Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium. That game will be televised nationally by NBC.

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